Insulin is an extract from the pancreas of certain animals which is mixed with other chemicals to form a liquid preparation and is generally marketed in small vials or bottles containing 10 cc's of the fluid. Insulin has been sold in three main concentrations, namely, U-40, U-80 and U-100. The difference is in how much liquid volume the preparation contains for each unit of insulin, or how pure the preparation is in terms of insulin. With U-100 preparations, a single cc of the liquid contains 100 units of insulin, while with the U-80, that same amount of liquid contains only 80 units of insulin, and with U-40, only 40 units. In the United States and Canada, however, insulin preparations containing 40 units per cc or 80 units per cc are being replaced by preparations containing 100 units per cc. This applies to all the various forms of insulin preparations. The diabetic travel kit herein described, therefore, is intended for use with U-100 preparations of insulin but can be adapted for other preparations.
According to the recommendations of the manufacturers of insulin, the preparation should be kept in a cold place, preferably a referigerator when stored, and at a temperature of 35 to 50 degrees F. Insulin which is in use should be kept from extreme heat, freezing temperatures and strong light. In normal use insulin is quite stable and may be kept at room temperature for some time without deterioration.
If a diabetic, however, is to lead a "normal" life as he or she would, and travelling becomes a part of this "normal" life, there are times and circumstances during which the diabetic is not able to preserve his or her insulin supply under optimum conditions, or even room temperatures. For example, if a diabetic is travelling by car on a trip of two or three days duration, or even a shorter time for that matter, the insulin, particularly if carried in the trunk of the car, may be subject to temperatures considerably higher than "room temperature", conceivably 50 or 60 degrees F higher. Similarly, when camping, hiking, or fishing, the insulin carried by a diabetic could, in many instances, be subject to much higher than normal temperatures and, being an animal product, adversely affected by such temperature, resulting in loss of potency or spoilage.
Another factor that may influence the diabetic may be purely psychological and this is the "peace-of-mind" factor which the device may provide to the diabetic. Since personal health or well being is, or should be, paramount in the mind of the diabetic, the condition of the life-preserving insulin is of utmost importance to the diabetic who may be away from family, friends or physician. Since concern or worry produces stress and stress in turn can adversely affect the blood-sugar level of the diabetic, it is important for the diabetic who is travelling not to be concerned about having ready access to insulin known to be preserved at the optimum temperature at all times.